Submarine tender.



Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

c. LAURENTI. SUBMARINE TENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAH.3, 1913.

l' WITNESSES.-

' G. -L AURENTI. SUBMARINE TENDER. APPLIOATION nun June, 1913.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914,

G. LAURENTI. SUBMABINE TENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1913.

Patentd 001;. 13, 1914.

3 BHEBTB-SHEET 3.

. INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

7 UNITED w m OFFICE.

CESARE LAURENTI, or srnzra, ITALY, ASSIGNOR 'ro 'soomrA FIAT-SAN GIORGIO, or

- 'srnzm, ITALY. I

' SUBMARINE TENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed January '3, 191a. Serial No. 739,942.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CrsARn LAURENTI, of Spezia, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Tenders, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact specification.

The invention relates to a special boat- (which for the sake of brevity is termed a tender or lighter).applicable especially for the service of submarines, and is intended for dealing-with submarines in various ways. The boat is constructed in such a way that it can serve for salving, assisting, transporting, repairing, raising and pressuretesting submarines.

' The drawings give a diagrammatic view of one form of the boat, in different aspects,

for the elucidation of its characteristic features. j

In said drawings, Figure 1 ma longitudinal section of a vessel constructed'according to the present invention. Fig, 2 18 21 top plan view of the vessel shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive are views ,of the floating door for closing the compartment in the vessel, the door being shown in different positions assumed in applying it to'open and close said opening. Fig. 7 is a rear-end view of the vessel. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are side elevations of the rear end of the vessel, shown in the act of salving a disabled submarine. J,

The main hull of the boat consists of a double shellan outer shell A of the usual shape of a keel boat,-and an inner shell in the shape of a cylindrical tank B intended for the reception of the submarine S, whether forrepairing, transporting or for applying pressure tests. The outer shell A is of the usual shape, with a keel, for the greater portion of its length; but toward the stern it'terminates in two lateral bodies 0, which are also ofthe usual shape and have between them a wide intermediate space D which serves for the passage of the submarine S when the latter is to be introduced into the tank, or to facilitate the raising or partial lifting out of the water in the event of salvage operations. The two lateral bodies 0 are connected together at the top by a bridge-shaped frame E. which serves to carry a portion of the lifting tackle. The boat is fitted with a double bottom which is divided into watertight compartments for the water ballast in order that the boat may be brought into the different positions requisite for the various manipulations it has to perform. The end of the forepart F of the cylindrical tank B is closed, whereas the after part G is open, and is adapted to be closed by a floating door of special shape. Theend G terminatesin an annular portal I having inner and outer shoulders z, 2" against which a ring or rib L on the door H fits either toward the inner side, or outward, which latter is the case when the cylindrical tank is used for testing the submarine under powerful hydraulic pressure. The door H is of lenticular shape and is adapted to float more or less according to the quantity of water ballast admitted. Moreover, the door is constructed in such a way as to present a sufficient stability against rotation about its. longitudinal axis, whereas its stabllity about its transverse axis, or polar axis, is very low, so that the door may be brought into the desired working position by suitably regulating the water ballast. The lenticular door H is provided with a facing of rubber at its periphery, so .as to make a perfectly watertight joint when in position against shoulders 11 or z" of the portal I. either against external or internal pressure;

In the event of the tank being used for pressure tests, the door is first submerged to a sutlicient extent to bring it into a position corresponding to the submergence of the boat A. The door is then inserted into the tank by turning it sidewise, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the ring L of the door fits into the recesses M which are situated on opposite sides of the portal I (Figs. 3 and 4). After the door has been pushed through the portal in this way, the door is turned through 90 about its vertical axis and in addition through the requisite angle about its horizontal axis, out of the position shown in Fig. 4, to bring it into the position shown in Fig. 5. The door is provided, with lugs O which coincide with the recesses M in the ring I, the lugs being slightly larger than the recesses, so as to cover the recesses when the door is against the shoulders of the portal, as shown in Fig. 5. As soon as the pressure of the water inside the tank exceeds assist in salving a sunken submarine, the latter can be raised by means of the chains P, which are attached to rings R on the submarine S and run over pulleys T arranged in different positions on the bridge frame E and the hull of the heat, so that, as shown in Figs. 8-10, the submarine to be raised can be lifted into a slanting position in one direction or the other as the case may require.

What I claim is:

l. A tender or lighter comprising an inner shell adapted to be closed watertight by a floating door at one end thereof and carried by an outer shell which latter for a portion of its length is in the form of a single'hull and for another portion of its length projects beyond the, aforesaid open end of the inner shell in the form of twin hulls connected together by a bridge or like frames, said floating door being lenticular in shape and adapted to be floated into' position and provided with lugs or the like, said shell being provided with recesses provided therefor at the open end thereof through which said lugs on the door are adapted to pass when the door is in its longitudinal and slanting position, which recesses will be covered by said door when the door is in the upright transverse position so that in the last named position the door Will close the inner shell watertight either from without or from within as required and for the purpose set forth.

2. A tender or lighter comprising an inner shell adapted to be closed watertight by a floating door at one end thereof and carried by an outer shell which latter for a portion of its length is in the form of a single hull and for another portion of its length projects beyond the aforesaid open end of the inner shell in the form of twin hulls connected together by a bridge or like frame,- the entire bottom space between the extensions in the rear of the closed compartment being open, said bridge or like frame and the twin hulls being provided with guide rollers or pulleys for chains or the like so as to permit such chains or the like to be attached to a submarine substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A vessel having a closed cylindrical compartment in its hull adapted to receive a vessel therein, an annular portal to said nular portal or passageway, and a floating lenticular shaped door for closing said portal, said door being adapted to close inwardly or outwardly against said portal and be pressed'thereagainst by the pressure upon said door.

5. A vessel having a compartment in its hull adapted to receive a vessel therein and provided with a circular portal or passageway and a floating lenticular shaped door for closing said portal, said portal having recesses therein permitting said door to pass from the exterior to the interior of the passageway, and said door having projections thereon adapted to close said recesses.

'6. A cruising vessel for the-care, assistance, transportation and testing of submarines, comprising 'a hull having its body and bow constructed in accordance with hulls of cruising vessels, a closed compartment within the body of said hull adapted to receive and contain 'a submarine vessel, twin hull extensions at the rear of said hullbody, the entire bottom space between the extensions in the rear of the closed compartment being open, and tackle for raising a sulnnarinc, between said hull extensions.

7. A cruising vessel for the care, assistance, trai'isportation and testing of submarines, comprising a hull having its body and bow constructed in accordance with hulls of cruising vessels, a closed compartment within the body of said hull adapted to receive and contain a submarine vessel, and twin hull extensions at the rear of said hullbody, the entire bottom space between the extensions in the rear of the closed compartment being open, a bridge across said hull extensions and tackle thereon for raising a submarine, between said hull extensions.

In witness whereof, IE have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CESAR-E LAURENTI.

Witnesses:

LIND HOMER,

ANcnLo Ronxema. 

